


Conflict

by Natterina



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-14
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-04-20 20:28:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4801175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natterina/pseuds/Natterina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Orb survives the destruction of Corypheus, but Lavellan refuses to hand it over.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conflict

It is a split second decision that changes everything. The blast of power from the foci orb closes the breach and Lavellan _almost_ lets it slip from her fingers as she watches a defeated Corypheus stare at the mark in horror. It is dangerous, the orb, but it could also be _useful_. It could be studied, and no matter the trouble it has caused in the magister’s hands, it is elven and she had been raised to _preserve_.

She keeps the orb in her right hand as she advances on Corypheus, the mark on her left hand pulsating with power as she vanquishes the Tevinter magister to the fade.

For a moment there is near silence: the orb pulsates a faint green at the energy she expended, and Lavellan’s breathing comes hard and fast. But then the ground shakes so much she nearly drops it, and Cassandra shouts a warning to run. The floor is splitting open and the ruined towers are dangerously tilting until they fall completely; Lavellan keeps the orb held close to her chest as herself, Cassandra, Solas and Cole flee the area.

When the shaking stops, and nervously held breaths are released, Lavellan notices Solas immediately go back up the stairs to the ruined temple. She feels she knows exactly what he is looking for, and her suspicions are confirmed when she turns to look at him after checking Cassandra and Cole for injuries.

He scours the site for the orb she hides behind her as she watches.

“Inquisitor, the orb, was it destroyed with Corypheus?” Solas asks the question innocently enough, but Lavellan knows him well enough to see behind the curious façade to the barely-reined in terror that boils beneath the surface.

“I dropped it after I closed the breach. Why is it so important?” She realises her response is too quick, but Solas seems more preoccupied with finding an answer to her question. His eyes dart over the ruined battleground behind her, before he returns his gaze to her.

“As it is Elven, I considered the knowledge we might gain from it would be…” He trails off, and Lavellan nearly curses when she notices that he is looking at the arm she holds behind her. “Inquisitor, is there something wrong with your arm?” It is irritation wrapped in thoughtfulness, and Lavellan nearly takes a step back at the look in Solas’ eyes.

“Oh? No, my arm is fine, thank you.” She curses her idiocy.

“Please, let me take a look at it, vhenan.” His kind smile combined with the endearment is such obvious manipulation that it feels like a knife to her heart. How _dare_ he try to use her love for him to get her to do his will? Lavellan’s resolve hardens, and she takes a step back.

“No thank you, _Solas_.” At that the pretence is dropped and Solas narrows his eyes.

“Give me my orb, Lavellan.” At his words the orb glows a gentle green, and it suddenly becomes heavier in Lavellan’s hand. It is a strange sort of pull in Solas’ direction, as though his words had activated it and it wished to belong in no one’s arms but his. It was not, however, so powerful that she felt the urge to hand it over.

“Back off, Solas. I don’t know why you are so invested in this artefact, but the fact that they belonged to the ancient elves does not mean it is yours, nor are you are entitled to take it from the Inquisition’s…” It is Lavellan who trails off this time, and Solas is almost amused at the array of emotions crossing her face.

Her features change from annoyance to a look of absolute horror and, as she holds it in front of her now, she stares down at the orb with a mixture of terror and comprehension. Lavellan’s dark eyes dart up to look at Solas, who realises with a stab of guilt and fear that she has realised _something_.

“You… If it is yours, then… _how_?” Her words are broken, and Solas wants to give her comfort to remove that terror from her tone.

“Hand my orb to me, and I will tell you everything.” He knows he will not: she will not understand, and he learnt the lesson of wholly trusting a modern elf when he regretfully killed Felassan for seeing the inhabitants of this world as people.

Lavellan is torn: her instincts tell her _no_ , that Solas has clearly lied and hidden much from her, for if he is really an ancient elf then most everything he has said must have been lies or based on them. But her heart yearns for him as much as he yearns for her, and she desperately wants to believe that he will confide in her the truth.

She spins and throws the orb to a startled Cassandra –who _barely_ catches it in time- and removes her staff from her back, swinging it back round at Solas in a powerful, emotion fuelled paralysis spell. Solas finds himself rooted to the spot, only able to move his body from the shoulders up. His rage is almost palpable.

“Lavellan, _what_ are you thinking?” His annoyance and irritation is no longer concealed, but Lavellan takes another step backwards and motions to some of the Inquisition guards that had survived the battle.

“Put mana inhibitors on him, I want him separate from the inner circle for the journey back to Skyhold, and put him in a locked room when we get back to Skyhold.” She could not condemn him to a dungeon, not yet. The guards looked at her in confusion, unsure why they were having to cuff and isolate the Inquisitor’s closest companion and ex-lover. At her eyebrow raise they hurried to restrain Solas from being able to use his magic, and Lavellan released him from the body bind.

Her heart was breaking, seeing the betrayal in Solas’ eyes at her use of mana inhibitors, but Lavellan knew she had no way of being certain he would try to take the orb by force, and she was well aware that Solas was her equal in battle.

She wanted to sob; she knew he may never trust her again, and that she may have thrown away the last chance she had to rekindle their relationship, but Lavellan also knew that the orb was dangerous in the wrong hands and incredibly powerful in the right hands. If the orb truly did belong to Solas, she could not risk it in the hands of a man who had lied to them all about his identity.

“I am sorry, Solas. I will speak with you back at Skyhold.”

“What will you do with him?” Cassandra had approached her as Solas was led away, his posture straight and an air of confidence around him. Lavellan knew it was his way to avoid being seen as weak, and her heart ached at how she could not comfort him. She turned to Cassandra, taking the orb back from her.

“I don’t know. I just… I had hoped I could convince him to change his mind, to realise that our love was strong and that whatever piece of himself he was keeping safe and locked away, he could tell me and I would stand by him all the same. But this? I never once in my wildest dreams imagined he was one of the ancient elvhen.”

“He may have his reasons. But those reasons may not be acceptable to you. I would suggest destroying that thing before it falls into the wrong hands once more.” Cassandra, ever the voice of wisdom, gave a look of utter distaste to the orb in Lavellan’s hands.

“I will destroy it once I have gained the information I need from it. I want to know what it can be used for. So far, all I have seen it do is destroy and wreak havoc, and if that is its purpose then I want to know why Solas is so eager to get his hands on it. Come, let us return to Skyhold as soon as we can.”

On the long journey back, Lavellan tried her hardest to stay at the front of line, refusing to allow herself to look back at the horse which Solas was travelling on.

She would talk to him and find out the truth, but it would have to wait until they had returned to Skyhold.


End file.
